Modu!

e
Iov
GvueIIe's MetLod

Background

We use the Iollowing important result Irom the study oI the theory oI equations.

Theorem (Vieta's Formulas). Consider a polynomial oI oI degree 3 with
roots

,

.

Let be the elementary symmetric Iunction or symmetric polynomial Ior the variables
,








then
.

Moreover, we have the important identities relating the coeIIicients oI

Ior .
5loration Graeffe's Method

Se5arated Roots

II the roots oI are widely separated in magnitude, then they can be approximated using
ratios oI the coeIIicients oI . This is the heart oI the GraeIIe method.

Theorem (Se5arated Real Roots). II is a polynomial with
real roots that are widely separated in magnitude


then
Ior .
5loration Graeffe's Method

am5le 1. Approximate the roots oI the Iollowing polynomials using the separated root
theorem.

1 (a).

1 (b).

1 (c).
Solution 1.

Graeffe Root Squaring Method

The root-Iinding method was popular in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was invented
independently by Karl Heinrich GrIIe (1799-1873), Germinal Pierre Dandelin (1794-1847),
and Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky (1792-1856) (See the article Dandelin, Lobacevskii, or
GraeIIe by Alston S. Householder, The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 66, No. 6. (Jun.
- Jul., 1959), pp. 464-466, Jstor. ) GraeIIe's method has the shortcoming that it proceeds to
calculations where the exponents exceed the maximum allowed by Iloating-point arithmetic
computation oI most soItware packages. The extended precision in ,902,9., is adequate to
investigate the method.

A necessary condition Ior the separated root theorem produce a good
approximation , is that the roots must be widely separated in magnitude, we would
need the separation to be more than Ior . The heart oI the
GraeIIe method is to start with "mildly" separated roots and construct a related polynomial with
suIIiciently widely separated roots. This leads into the topic oI root squaring.

Theorem (Root Squaring). Given the polynomial oI degree 3 in Iactored
Iorm with roots . Then is deIined by

.

is a polynomial oI degree 3 with roots .
!roof Graeffe's Method

am5le 2. Consider the polynomial



Explore the process oI root squaring Ior .
Solution 2.

The Goal

II the roots oI are real and distinct then successive root squaring will generate a
sequence oI polynomials , where each polynomial has degree 3. The roots
oI are , and iI ; is large enough, then the roots oI will be widely
separated. The roots oI are all positive. The roots oI can be obtained
by taking a root , where the appropriate sign can be determined by
evaluating . The goal is to separate roots!
Theorem (Graeffe's Method). Given the polynomial oI degree 3 with real distinct
roots . DeIine the sequence as Iollows:



is a polynomial oI degree 3 with roots Ior . Furthermore, the roots
oI are approximated by

Ior .

Where the appropriate sign can be determined by evaluating .
!roof Graeffe's Method

!govItLm (Graeffe's Method). To fInd all the roots oI the polynomial oI degree 3
which has real distinct roots . Use the GraeIIe iteration

.
om5uter !rograms Graeffe's Method
Mathematica Subroutine (Graeffe's Method)).

am5le 3. Use GraeIIe's root squaring method to Iind the roots

oI .
Show each step in the process.
Solution 3.

am5le 4. Use GraeIIe's root squaring method to Iind the roots
oI .
Use the subroutine 7,0110.
Solution 4.

am5le 5. Use GraeIIe's root squaring method to Iind the roots
oI .
Use the subroutine 7,0110.
Solution 5.

tending Graeffe's Method

The literature on GraeIIe's method contains a myriad oI rules Ior treating cases other than
distinct, separated real roots. The rules involve detailed study oI the behavior oI the coeIIicients
oI , which are to be listed in rows, and the coeIIicients oI the powers oI x in
columns. Hutchinson lists 11 rules Ior special cases, and his list was later reIined by
Cronvich. There are special cases Ior distinct real roots, double roots, triple roots, one pair oI
imaginary roots, two pairs oI imaginary roots, a pair oI imaginary roots whose modulus is equal
to the absolute value oI a real root, etc. It is not our purpose to study these cases and leave them
Ior the reader to investigate. We will look at two oI the easier cases which give a glimpse oI
what might happen.
Re5eated Real Roots

The standard GraeIIe iteration given in the ,902,9., subroutine is robust enough to treat
the case oI repeated real roots. However, knowing that a double root appears is essential
inIormation that will be used. II is a root oI order , then and the
magnitude oI the repeated roots are given by the Iollowing computation. AIter v iterations the
polynomial is constructed



The magnitude oI the multiple root oI order , is computed with the Iormula

.

am5le 6. Re5eated Real Roots Use GraeIIe's root squaring method to Iind the roots
oI .
As in the case oI Newton's method, the iteration will proceed linearly Ior the repeated root and
quadratically Ior the simple roots.
Solution 6.

am5le 7. Re5eated Real Roots Use GraeIIe's root squaring method to Iind the roots
oI .
As in the case oI Newton's method, the iteration will proceed linearly Ior the repeated root and
quadratically Ior the simple roots.
Solution 7.

The fficient Graeffe Subroutine

It can be observed that the Iunctions are never used in GraeIIe's method, only their
coeIIicients. So it is an unnecessary step to Iorm the polynomials. The Iollowing streamlined
version oI the subroutine uses only the coeIIicients. Also, this version can be used with decimal
entries Ior the coeIIicients, where the previous version will not.
om5uter !rograms Graeffe's Method
Mathematica Subroutine (Graeffe's Method)).

am5le 8. Use GraeIIe's root squaring method to Iind the roots

oI .
Use the subroutine 7,0110.
Solution 8.

am5le 9. Unequal Real Roots of qual Magnitude Use GraeIIe's root squaring method to
Iind the roots oI .
Use the subroutine 7,0110.
Solution 9.

Research 5erience for Undergraduates
Graeffe's Method Internet hyperlinks to web sites and a bibliography oI articles.

Download this Mathematica Notebook Graeffe's Method

























. John H. Mnfhows 2005